Riverside

Updated July 2022

PROJECT COMPLETE! The Riverside upgrade which commenced in 2010 was completed in 2022!

Wagga Wagga City Council’s Riverside Strategic Master Plan was released in 2010 with the intention of reinforcing the relationship between the Murrumbidgee River and the City. Stage 1 ($1.02M) of the Riverside Redevelopment was completed in 2015 and consisted of a facelift to the Wagga Beach area as part of a process to turn “The Bend’ into an iconic destination for Wagga Wagga.

Stage 2 of the Riverside Redevelopment connecting the Wagga Wagga Beach and Wiradjuri Walking Track to the broader precinct, incorporating the former St Michael’s School Oval and the former Wagga Wagga Caravan Park was completed and officially opened in June 2022.

The $9.93M budget to implement the Riverside Stage 2 Plan was funded by the NSW Government ($5M), the Federal Government ($3.08M) and Wagga Wagga City Council ($1.85M).

Stage 2 of the project aims to create an attraction for residents and visitors to the region, and an ideal venue for festivals, markets and musical performances at the Wagga Beach and Murrumbidgee River Precinct. Works include upgraded fencing, lighting, walk and cycle paths, an events stage, parking, new accessible amenities, and an all-abilities playground inspired by the city’s paddle-steamer past and the old Wagga Water Whizz.

Background

The Murrumbidgee River is a vital community asset and the recommendations outlined in the 2010 Riverside Master Plan are arguably the most important to the city’s culture and social fabric.

The Riverside Strategic Master Plan was developed in 2010 and Council committed over $1M undertaking landscaping and amenity improvements to the Wagga Beach area as part of stage 1. The improvements demonstrated the strong demand for more quality open spaces and evidenced the community’s desire to reconnect and utilise the river. Since Stage 1 completion the space has been activated by a number of successful community events and gained very positive feedback from both residents and visitors to the city. For example, Borambola Wines hosted the Cork and Fork Festival at the beach area following the completion of Stage 1 and attracted strong, vibrant crowds of approximately 4,000 people.

Council has taken important steps to enable implementation of Stage 2 of the Master Plan, resolving to end the Wagga Beach Caravan Park lease in 2019. The Caravan Park site is identified as under-utilised land due to its proximity to the central business area and can be better transformed into a large community space used for general recreation, festivals and events on a village green.

Committee for Wagga members have identified festivals and events as the most important cultural activity in the city. Currently, events such as Wagga Live, Gears and Beers, Fusion and the Wagga Food and Wine Festival have the capacity to grow and attract more visitors however the space available in the civic centre is restrictive and expensive to manage. 

Over 4,000 people attended the Cork and Fork event at the beach immediately following the stage 1 project.